Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849

Marusik, Yuri M. & Omelko, Mikhail M., 2017, First illustrated description of the male of Diphya macrophthalma, the type species of the genus (Araneae, Tetragnathidae), Iheringia, Série Zoologia (e 2017036) 107, pp. 1-7 : 2-5

Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849

( Figs 1‒30, 33‒35 )

Diphya macrophthalma NICOLET, 1849:406 (♀); SIMON, 1889:217; 1894:744;

TANIKAWA, 1995:106, f.17 (♀). Syntype ♀ examined after photographs provided by A.Tanikawa (for specimen details see TANIKAWA, 1995:106). Diphya crassipes NICOLET, 1849:406 (♀). Diphya brevipes NICOLET, 1849:407 (♂, ♀). Diphya longipes NICOLET, 1849:407 (♂).

Material examined. CHILE: Los Rios Region, Osorno: ♂, N. P. PUyehUe, AnticUra Sector, ca. 40°39’13”S 72°15’45”W, edge of Nothofagus forest, anthropogenic meadow, 10.01.2014 (K. Eskov, R. Rakitov). Los Lagos Region: Llanquihue: ♀, N. P. Alerce Andino, boggy Phigerodendron forest, in Sphagnum , 5- 11.01.2014 (K. Eskov); Chiloé: 2♂, ♀, Chiloé Isl., Senda Darwin Biol. Station , boggy Baccharis matorral, in moss and sweeping, 30.01‒ 7.02.2014 ( R. Rakitov); ♀, same locality, dates and collector, Nothofagus-Podocarpus forest , in Sphagnum .

Note. In the first half of 19th centUry two provinces, Osorno and Llanquihue, now belonging to different administrative regions were considered as parts of Valdivia Province, and therefore two of six specimens treated here were collected in “terra typica” and four other were collected in neighboring Chiloé Province.

Diagnosis. Male of D. macrophthalma well differs from other species occurring in southern South America by having straight tibial apophysis (bent in other species). Females of D. macrophthalma can be distinguished by lack of septum, longitudinal fovea and rectangular median plate (vs. septum present, fovea transversal if present, and round or inverted trapezoidal median plate (cf. TANIKAWA, 1995, figs 18, 20‒22).

Description. Male. Total length 2.75, carapace 1.38 long, 1.10 wide. Carapace yellowish with white median band and brownish sides of thoracic part ( Fig. 6 ). Eyes surrounded with wide black rings. Eyes very large except AME ( Figs 5‒6 ), which are aboUt 2 times smaller than others; black rings around AME and ALE touching each other, lateral eyes spaced by more that 1 diameter, posterior eye row wider than anterior one; PME spaced by less than 1 diameter. Clypeus yellow about 1.5 of AME diameter or 1 diameter of ALE. Chelicerae brown, darker near fangs, with 3 prolateral and 4 retrolateral teeth. Sternum brown with dark brown margins; labiUm and maxillae dark brown. Femora brown withoUt spots. Tibiae and metatarsi with grayish spots at top and middle part. Tibia-tarsi of legs I and II with row of stiff inflexible setae forming catching basket. Legs siZe, nUmber and position of macrosetae shown in Tabs I, II. Abdomen whitish, dorsum with folium composed by bright white spots and stripes and dark stripes and bands. Lateral sides of abdomen black with white longitudinal stripes near dorsum. Ventral side of abdomen yellowish with gray longitudinal band. Epigastrum with about 2 dozens of epiandrous fusules ( Fig. 34 ). Colulus with few setae ( Fig. 35 ).

Palp as in Figs 9‒15 , 16‒21 . FemUr as long as patella and tibia, about 4 times longer than wide; patella cylindrical, with long dorsal macrosetae about 2 times longer than patella; tibia subconical with wider distal part, with long cylindrical dorso-retrolateral apophysis (Da); distal part of tibia with 4 long macrosetae; cymbium with prolateral hollow (rounded cUt off) ( Figs 12 , 16 ); paracymbiUm complex with bilobate ventral part (Pv) and spine like dorsal part (Pd); ventral lobe of ventral part larger dorsal and bears five macrosetae; bUlb oval in lateral view; tegulum (Tg) ribbon like; conductor (Co) lamellar twisted aroUnd axis together with embolUs, embolus proper (Em) with wide accompanying membrane (Am) heavily sclerotized ventrally (Ev).

Female. Total length 4.28, carapace 1.8 long, 1.35 wide. Carapace like in male. Sternum brown with dark brown margins ( Fig. 3 ). Legs I and II like in males with prolateral row of stiff setae. Legs siZe, nUmber and position of macrosetae shown in Tabs III, IV.Abdomen white without distinct pattern, with median stripe lacking guanine spots; posterior part with almost indistinct dark lateral spots; venter with more distinct pattern, composed by 2 parallel dark stripes in the middle, and dark lateral bands laterally, number and size of guanine spots fewer than in dorsum.

Epigyne as in Figs 22‒30 , epigynal plate 1.4 wider than high, with well delimited by furrow (Ef) oval central plate (Pc) and marginal plate (Pm), marginal plate thin on lateral sides and wide in anterior part, anterior edges with kind of pockets (Ap) well distinct in macerated epigyne; central plate with square shape median plate (Mp) and small longitudinal fovea (Fo); anterior part of median plate with hollow and pit (Pi); anterior part of fovea with one copulatory opening (Oc); copulatory ducts (Cd) diverging posteriorly; receptacles with two chambers, large posterior (Rp) and smaller anterior (Ra). Anterior part of anterior chamber covered with accessory glands appeared as pit (Pi) with 1‒3 cilia (Gc).

Shape of fovea, pit and copulatory opening well visible in SEM photographs only. Holotype female and 3 examined females with mating plUg (Pl) inside fovea. SiZe of plug vary from small ( Fig. 25 ) to large ( Fig. 26 ).

Variations. White median stripe on carapace in one of three females almost indistinct. In all three males examined white stripe is distinct. Venter of abdomen vary from uniformly white to with distinct pattern as shown on Fig. 3 . SiZe variation: male, total length 2.53‒2.75, carapace 1.35‒1.43 long; female, total length 3.88-4.28, carapace 1.63-1.93 long. NICOLET (1845) indicated size of D. macrophthalma holotype as 1.5 lines which corresponds to 3.2 mm or 3.8 mm (depends if counted line as 1/12 th or 1/10 th of the inch), while SIMON (1889) mentioned that it is 4.5 mm long.

Distribution. So far it is known in four localities in Central Chile ( Fig. 36 ).

Figures

Figs 1‒8. Somatic characters of Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849: 1, 2, female habitus, dorsal; 3, female habitus, ventral; 4, 5, male prosoma, frontal and dorsal; 6, male habitus, dorsal; 7, male prosoma, ventral; 8, female prosoma, ventral. Fig. 2, holotype, made by Tanikawa. Scale = 0.2 mm if not otherwise indicated.

Figs 9‒15. Male palp of Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849: 9, whole palp, retrolateral; 10, 11, terminal part of palp, retro-ventral and antero-ventral; 12, same, prolateral; 13, 14 same, anterior and dorsal; 15, terminal part of the bulb, retrolateral (Am, accompanying membrane; Co, conductor; Da, dorso-retrolateral apophysis; Em, embolus; Ev, embolus ventrally; Pd, spine like dorsal part; Tg, tegulum). Scale = 0.2 mm.

Figs 16‒24. Male palp and epigyne of Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849: 16, 17 terminal part of palp with removed bulb, ventro-retrolateral, retrolateral and dorso-retrolateral; 19‒21 bUlb, dorsal, anterior and prolateral-anterior; 22 epigyne, ventral; 23 epigyne, dorsal; 24 anterior chamber of receptacle with glands (Am, accompanying membrane; Co, conductor; Cd, copulatory ducts; Da, dorso-retrolateral apophysis; Em, embolus; Ef, epigynal furrow; Ev, embolus ventrally; Fo, fovea; Gc, gland cilia; Mp, median plate; Oc, copulatory opening; Pc, central plate; Pd, dorsal part of paracymbium; Pi, pit; Pm, marginal plate. Scale = 0.1 mm if not otherwise indicated.

Figs 25‒35. Diphya macrophthalma Nicolet, 1849 (Figs 25‒30, 33‒35) and D. rugosa Tullgren, 1902 (Figs 31, 32): 25, 26, 29‒32 epigyne, ventral; 27, 28 epigyne, dorsal; 33 paracymbium and tibia, ventro-retrolateral; 34, male epigastral area showing epiandrous spigots; 35, male spinnerets; 29, 30 holotype; 31, 32 syntype. Figs 30, 32 after TANIKAWA (1995). Figs 29, 31 made by A. Tanikawa (Ap, anterior pockets; Cd, copulatory ducts; Pc, central plate; Pl, mating plug; Pm, marginal plate; Ra, anterior chambers of receptacles; Rp, posterior chambers of receptacles).

Fig. 36. Distribution of Diphya species known in Chile and Argentina.